Gene Winfield - Legendary Custom Builder

11/5/2018

Shaun Smith

Gene Winfield is one of the old car hobby’s best hot rod custom legends still alive today, and still making custom cars for major film productions. Winfield has revolutionized our hobby and given car enthusiasts all over the world a sense of something to aspire to, paying forward to the next generation of custom car designers.

The legendary custom builder’s career dates back to the post-World War II era, when Winfield built his first roadster. Winfield participated in every avenue of hot rodding, including Bonneville competition and drag racing in the central California region.

However, Winfield is known mainly for his legendary customizing and car building expertise throughout the years. In 1947, he opened his first shop, called Windy’s Custom Shop in Modesto, California. His trademark productions included the Jade Idol 1956 Mercury and the rear-engine Reactor.

By the late 1950’s, the Winfield Custom Shop was gaining national attention for excellence in building and customizing. In 1961, Winfield was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Hall of Fame and joined the Ford Custom Car Caravan shortly after to build more show cars.

In the early 1970’s, Winfield moved to Southern California, where he built cars for movies, television, as well as many commercials.

Gene Winfield’s awesome car designing and building can be found in popular culture movies such as Blade Runner, Magnum Force, the Star Trek Series, Bonnie and Clyde, Back to the Future movies, Robo Cop II, Dean Martin’s Television Show, and commercials for Goodyear and Hanover Insurance.

He even helped construct a huge scale model ship for one of the Star Wars movies, with the help of many people. Presently, Winfield is still at it, producing cars for films, and he recently opened a custom shop in Mojave, California.